Reposting something I wrote following a fun visit to the Vacaville outlets with Sophie. I need to hit up the WS outlet for some Christmas crackers!
A road trip to the outlets in Vacaville may not sound like the most exciting weekend road trip. But Sophie and I have been getting a little stir crazy being at home so much. I think this is probably a feeling that a lot of you may share!
And while Kate regularly returns to Santa Ynez Valley for wine tasting when she needs an escape, Sophie and I wanted to look for a few new things to spruce up the house. So we decided to take a road trip to the outlets in Vacaville for some shopping. Namely, the Serena and Lily and the Restoration Hardware outlets.
Getting to the outlets in Vacaville
Vacaville is about 50 minutes away from Moraga, halfway to Sacramento. So it’s a bit of an adventure. There are a number of outlets in Vacaville, including a large outdoor mall. But we had a plan, and our first stop was Serena and Lily- only to find a big sign stating they were closed until the following Tuesday. I should have known something was up when I saw the sad-faced fellow shopper, peering into the darkened store. Beachy California style was not on the menu today!
As much as people may grump about the “end of California” (and I may have to write a blog post about why California is not on its last legs!), the fact is that all these stores have placed their outlet stores in California- not in Texas! To be honest, it’s probably because most of these stores were founded in California and still have a headquarters nearby. But still, score one for California 🙂
Sophie and I had an hour to kill before the RH outlet opened at 11am. So we found a taqueria nearby and picked up a couple of burritos. More authentic than heading to Chipotle!
We stopped in the Sprouts grocery store near the RH outlet for some candy corn for Dear Husband (yes, I know, a bit random!) And that’s when I noticed that right next door to the RH outlet was a relatively new Williams Sonoma Home outlet! Very exciting! Maybe this long trip to the outlets in Vacaville would be more rewarding than I expected after the Serena and Lily disappointment.
Williams Sonoma Home Outlet
Both the stores are located in very large, almost warehouse-like spaces. Great for social distancing 🙂 That makes sense, given that most of the merchandise is furniture and you need a lot of space for that.
The selection at Williams Sonoma was a bit more skewed to soft goods- lots of throw pillows, plaid wool throws (they were beautiful, but not cheap at $400+), and sheets. There was also a small section of kitchen items, but it was a bit hit or miss.
Someone had just purchased this beautiful table and it was being wrapped up for shipment. Sophie and I speculated that it would look perfect in the grand entryway of a house in Napa…
There were some pretty rugs and an oddball assortment of lamps, as well as a few bistro chairs that reminded me very much of Serena & Lily.
And there’s got to be some random stuff too!
And it wouldn’t be an outlet without at least a few things that make you wonder if they even sold one of those at full price.
Sophie and I left with a pretty light grey lacquered tray, some Easter pancake molds, and some “Christmas” party crackers which are actually for Chinese New Year but they were so cheap that they’ll get used on December 25th. My mother would be proud!
I was temped by these two chairs but we really have nowhere to put them. They were very comfortable though.
Williams Sonoma Home Outlet, 1051 Helen Power Dr, Vacaville, CA 95687
Restoration Hardware Outlet
The RH outlet is right next door, so there’s no excuse not to visit both.
The RH outlet was definitely more focused on furniture. Aside from some sheets (we picked up a new set for the guest room), the warehouse was filled with outdoor furniture (a bit of a hodge podge) and countless sofas in some questionable colors (Sophie’s question “who orders a purple sectional??”).
Nothing was super cheap, so I wouldn’t come here thinking you’re going to score the bargain of a lifetime. But if you are lucky, you might get something 25%+ off. And I’m more convinced that the sheets we bought were actually created just for the outlet and were no less expensive than what we would have bought from Garnet Hill or Boll & Branch. Still, they are a nice cotton-linen blend, and I checked something off my to-do list with the purchase!
Don’t worry, RH had a few choice items as well…
And I had to share a few things that are a big no. Restoration Hardware does produce some strange items every season- and chairs that look like they were made from vintage airplanes are just not my cup of tea. Nor aluminum suitcase/coffee tables!
RH Outlet, 1071 Helen Power Dr, Vacaville, CA 95687
Outlet shopping in Vacaville was a fun mother-daughter road trip. We’re already planning our next visit for later in October. And next time we’re hitting the Serena and Lily and West Elm outlets, just to spice things up! 🙂 If you are interested in a report back from our next trip, do let me know in the comments.
